The Platinum Jubilee Fund

Planetary Boundaries, Birmingham

This programme is now closed to applications.

Please visit National Lottery Awards for All where there is information on funding available to support community events or celebrations to mark the year of Platinum Jubilee throughout 2022.

The Platinum Jubilee celebrates 70 years of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign and to mark this occasion, The National Lottery Community Fund will fund 70 projects across the UK.

This is a significant National moment, and we are looking for projects that go beyond simply celebrating but for those that create change for communities.

We want to fund projects that create a greater legacy for our places and spaces, and that support new opportunities, activities and build better relationships with one another, across generations and with the natural world.

Funded projects will need to be up and running by Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend on 5 June 2022.

We plan to make our final decisions on which projects to fund in Spring 2022. So, we would expect the projects we fund under this programme to start in Spring 2022 onwards.

We will work with all funded projects so that we can publicly share and uplift your work by the Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend on 4 and 5 June 2022.

Our three areas of focus are:

1. Across Generations - Strengthening relationships between generations and creating a legacy for future generations.

  • Projects that connect people across generations through doing activities together
  • Projects that consider future generations and how the Jubilee can leave a legacy for them in the community
  • Projects designed and led by young people who want to be more active in shaping the future of their communities.

2. Community Renewal - Supporting new opportunities for people to develop skills and experiences in their local community, as well as opportunities to bring people together in new ways, and in new or different places and spaces.

  • Projects making use of significant local sites or spaces – parks, heritage buildings, community spaces etc.
  • Projects creating new opportunities for the people that live locally to contribute and/or to build skills and experiences
  • Projects starting something new (a set of activities, a group, a community space, a service, a network) that marks the Jubilee as a turning point in the community.

3. Our Shared Natural World - Growing our care and action locally for the natural world.

  • Projects initiating collective action in relation to the natural world locally - giving more people the opportunity to care for the planet at a local level

Across the applications, we will be looking for and prioritising projects that:

  • draw on the creativity of the community
  • want to do something new and inventive
  • bring new opportunities
  • make use of sites of local significance
  • use multiple channels through which people can participate,
  • that will have impact on more than one of the above areas of focus, and
  • we're especially keen to see applications led by young people.

Read this blog for some examples of the types of projects we will and won’t fund.

Area
UK-wide
Suitable for
Small local voluntary or community organisations and groups
Funding size
£30,000 to £50,000 for up to 2 years
Total available
£3.5 million.
Application deadline

Closed to applications.

How to apply

This programme is closed.

We only have a certain amount of funding to award and will only make 70 awards

We’re expecting a lot of applications, and many of them will be for really worthwhile projects. This means we’ll have to make some difficult decisions. There are often lots of projects we cannot fund, even good ones.

In order to try and manage demand we’ve taken the difficult decision to only accept up to 700 applications (or close to applications on 15 December 2021 if this comes sooner). All applications received will be assessed at the same time.

We’ll prioritise applications from groups who:

  • have not received funding from us before
  • do not have a current award with us
  • are smaller or medium sized organisations or groups with an annual turnover of under £100,000
  • or are organisations that can demonstrate to us that they have significant reach into communities and are able to engage a large number of people to get involved
  • work in communities where there is a history of fewer funding opportunities.
  • work in areas where we know communities face challenging economic circumstances.

Other organisations can apply but please consider these factors before you take the time to apply.

Please note that we cannot fund capital costs through the Platinum Jubilee Programme. Where the costs are essential for supporting the activity of your project, we can consider a small amount of capital (under £10,000) as part of your budget.

What do we mean by capital costs?

Capital costs are the costs of land or building work, buying equipment, furnishings, premises or other items that cost substantial amounts and will last for several years. For example, costs incurred in purchasing computers, a minibus or new premises are all capital costs. All other costs are revenue costs.

Make sure you check who can and cannot apply before filling out the application form.

How long will it take to get a decision?

We’ll aim to tell you a decision in around two months so that you have plenty of time to prepare for your project to start alongside the Jubilee in June 2022.

If it's difficult or impossible for you to complete an application form

You can contact us if you have any communication support needs. We’re happy to talk about other ways for you to tell us about your idea.

What information you need to apply

We ask for two different people from your organisation to be our contacts for the project:

  • one person should be someone we can talk to if we have any questions about your project
  • the other person should be a senior member of your organisation, who'll be legally responsible for the funding.

Both need to live in the UK.

We need their:

  • names
  • contact details
  • home addresses
  • dates of birth.

Both contacts need to have different email addresses.

You’ll need to let the senior contact know you’re including their information as part of the application.

These two people cannot be:

  • related by blood
  • married to each other
  • in a civil partnership with each other
  • in a long-term relationship with each other
  • living together at the same address.

We ask for the legal name of your organisation - and its address. And what type of organisation it is

Make sure these are up to date and match up with any information or identity documents we ask for (when you get to the application part). Your organisation’s ‘legal name’ may not be the same as your day-to-day name. Your legal name is the one shown on your governing document (like your constitution, trust deed, memorandum or articles of association).

We ask for information about your organisation’s accounts

We want to know the date your accounts wrap up each year and how much income you have.

If you do not have yearly accounts because you’re a new organisation (less than 15 months old), that’s okay. We can still look at your application.

Send us your bank statement

What we need

We ask for one bank statement dated within the last three months. So, we can check the account you want us to pay the grant into.

We'll not be able to assess your application if you do not have a bank account and bank statement that meet our requirements below and you’ll need to reapply once you have these set up. If you’re not sure contact us

We need:

  1. A bank account that meets our needs in our Financial Controls and Financial Governance Guidance
  2. A bank statement that meets our needs.

It should show:

  • the bank logo
  • your organisation's legal name
  • the address the statements are sent to
  • your bank's name
  • the account number and sort code
  • the date the statement was issued.

Here’s a picture of the kind of bank statement we’re looking for.

We ask you for information about what sort of project you’d like to do

And how your project will meet the criteria listed in ‘The projects we fund’.

What happens after you apply

  1. You send us your application - we'll get back to you with a decision in around two months. During this time, we look at your idea and do our security checks. You can find out more about the checks we do. If we need more information about your idea to help with our decision, we might give you a call or send you an email.
  2. If your application is successful - we'll contact you with the good news! Once you’ve been awarded funding from us, here’s what to expect. This page will also let you know about the things you need to do.
  3. If your application is unsuccessful - we will send you an email to inform you of our decision
  4. You can start spending the funding on your project - you should spend the funding the way you said you would in your application (unless we’ve agreed to something different first).
    We might check in from time to time - to see how things are going. 
  5. Share your story – let people know about your grant and the amazing work you're doing in your community. Sharing news about your project with your community can be a great way to keep them involved and engaged. Your award email will also include details on how to publicise your grant and let people know about how your project is supporting people in your community.

We also ask you to read and agree to our terms and conditions

You can read the terms and conditions.

If you’re not sure about the sort of things we ask for when you apply

Contact us.

You can also read our Data Protection Statement to find out how we use the personal data you give us.

Who can and cannot apply

Who can apply?

You can apply if you are a:

  • voluntary or community organisation
  • registered charity
  • constituted group or club
  • not-for-profit company or Community Interest Company
  • school (as long as your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory body (including town, parish, community council or local council).

We cannot accept applications from:

  • individuals
  • sole traders
  • organisations that are aimed at generating profits primarily for private distribution
  • organisations based outside the UK
  • one individual or organisation applying on behalf of another
  • people under the age of 18

Board or committee members

It’s really important that organisations that apply have at least two people on their board or committee who are not related.

By related, we mean:

  • married to each other
  • in a civil partnership with each other
  • in a long-term relationship with each other
  • living together at the same address
  • related by blood.

All companies who apply must have at least two directors who are not related in any of these ways. This also applies to companies that are also registered as charities.

If you’re a school or an organisation working in a school

Your project needs to strengthen the community outside of the school too. It should benefit and involve more than just:

  • teachers
  • pupils
  • parents of pupils.

We’ll not fund school projects that:

  • improve school facilities or equipment that are not available for the wider community to use
  • help with staff training
  • are part of the school curriculum
  • involve activities the school should already be providing (like a project teaching literacy during school hours)
  • take place during teaching times (before and after school might be okay).

We cannot accept multiple applications from the same group or organisation.

If you’re not sure if you can apply

Contact us. The team will be happy to help. You can also check what other funding programmes you might be able to apply to.

The projects we fund

Your project will need to meet at least two of these criteria:

  • connects people across generations through doing activities together
  • makes use of significant local sites or spaces – parks, heritage buildings, community spaces etc.
  • considers future generations and how the Jubilee can leave a legacy for them in the community
  • creates new opportunities for the people that live locally to contribute and/or to build skills and experience
  • starts something new (a set of activities, a group, a community space, a service, a network) that marks the Jubilee as a turning point in the community
  • is designed and led by young people who want to be more active in shaping the future of their communities
  • starts collective action in relation to the natural world locally - giving more people the opportunity to care for the planet at a local level

You can apply if you have a current grant from The National Lottery Community Fund. We’ll consider how this funding would complement and impact on existing awards during the assessment process.

We recognise that activities will need to respond to specific lockdown rules and regulations. We also know these are likely to vary across the UK. We understand that projects will need to stay flexible about what they are able to do. We’ll be as flexible as we can too.

We'll support a range of projects

We're keen that projects reflect a mix of communities and places from across the UK. We’ll make sure there’s a geographical spread of funding across the UK and a range of activities being delivered across the projects.

We'll take this into account when assessing your application against others that we receive.

You must involve your community in your project

We believe that people understand what's needed in their communities better than anyone else. It’s important to us that you involve your community in the design, development, and delivery of the activities you’re planning.

This short video explains it well - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFkavT5kGSk. It might be helpful when you’re putting your application together.

Delivering your project in Welsh

When you receive funding from The National Lottery Community Fund for a project in Wales, you'll need to deliver it in Welsh as well as English and make sure all your activities are available to your community in both languages. For further information read our guidance on managing your project bilingually or contact the Welsh Language Team at welshlanguage.advice@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.

If your project works with children, young people or vulnerable adults

You need to have a policy in place that explains how they'll be safe. We might ask to see this policy if we decide to give you funding. The NSPCC have lots of helpful advice about setting up and following good child safeguarding policies.

If you're not sure about the sort of projects we fund

You can always contact us. 

What you can spend money on

We can pay for activities or items, costing between £30,000 - £50,000 that meet at least two of the funding criteria.

You must spend the money within two years of your award.

This list does not include everything. So, if you're not sure, contact us.

We can fund:

  • events and activity costs (though not celebratory or one off events)
  • equipment and materials
  • staff costs 
  • people’s time (that may not be staff)
  • training costs 
  • transport 
  • utilities/running costs related to your idea 
  • volunteer expenses 
  • translation costs (for example, into other languages like Welsh)
  • You should consider the environmental impact of your project and try to reuse, reduce and recycle where possible.

We cannot fund:

  • activities outside the UK
  • capital costs including refurbishment or the purchasing of buildings
  • alcohol
  • items which will only benefit an individual or family, rather than the wider community 
  • contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
  • feed-in tariff payments
  • political activities
  • religious activities (although we can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content) 
  • profit-making/fundraising activities
  • VAT you can reclaim
  • statutory activities (for example, we can only fund school activities that are additional to the curriculum) 
  • overseas travel
  • activities that generate profits for private gain 
  • costs that have already been incurred 
  • work on land or buildings where you do not meet our requirements around land ownership and permissions - read ‘The projects we fund’ for more information.

We also need to ensure that our funding is subsidy compliant

This means that we must ensure that our grant funding does not potentially cause a distortion in, or harm to competition, trade or investment in the UK and international market, by conferring a benefit (ie: economic advantage) on a grant recipient that is not on market terms.

If your project involves some form of economic activity (for example, your project is a café or some other revenue generating activity), please contact us to discuss whether subsidy will apply. In many cases, it may be that we can fund your project, via a route provided under the Subsidy Control Regime.

If you’re ready to start your application

Apply online

If you’re not sure if you can apply 

Contact us. The team will be happy to help. You can also check what other funding programmes you might be able to apply to.